TNC Pro Team stamped its class over Omega Esports, 3-1, in their best-of-five upper bracket semifinals match at the SMX Convention Center on Friday, April 29.
TNC proved its second-seed finish in the regular season was no fluke as it dictated the tempo all-series long en route to the convincing finish to advance to the upper bracket finals and move a win away from representing the country in the upcoming MLBB Southeast Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June.
With the win, the Phoenix were already assured of at least a top 3 finish this season, its best so far since joining the league in Season 9.
It was TNC which drew the series’ first blood as it worked on its patented fast jungling gameplay anchored on Daniel “SDzyz” Chu’s Karina pick. An early three-man invasion for TNC disrupted the jungle pattern of Christian “Raizen” Sumagui’s jungle Chou pick as Omega fell behind early and never recovered.
TNC snowballed with SDZyz finishing with a 3-0-2 line while Ben “Benthings” Maglaque provided the setups on his Lolita to add an efficient 0-0-6 line in their 7-2 Game 1 win in a swift 9:58 minutes of play.
Omega retaliated and gave TNC a dose of its own medicine in the second game as Raizen shone on the Karina pick with a 2-0-3 line. With TNC focusing on shutting down Raizen, Kelra “Duane” Pillas had his free reign in the jungle to finish with a 3-0-0 KDA on the Beatrix.
The MSC kings scored the equalizer after a low-scoring 6-1 Game 2 win.
In Game 3, TNC then engaged Omega in team fights which back fired as the latter took an early 5-1 kill lead. A clash at the nine-minute mark where Benthings executed an on-point Iron Hook to catch and pick off Kelra’s Brody became the match turning point as TNC regained control of the lead and it never relinquished on its way to a 17-10 Game 3 win.
Moving a win away from the upper bracket finals, TNC showed no letup in Game 4 as it once again played to its strength evident to the three Lord takes in the series-clinching game. TNC stomped Omega 13-4 led by the Yasuwo’s 4-0-6 line on the Brody and Benthings 3-0-9 on the Franco.